Nail-holding attachment for hammers.



N. G; GORE.

NAIL HOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR HAMMERS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8, 1913.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

1 9 1; it f.

a t i g,

NOE-MAL G. GORE, WIN i it t I NORTH CAROLINA.

NATL-HULDINQ ATTACWENT TOR HAMMERS.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. son am.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that T, NonMAL G. Gone, citizen of the United States, residing at V'neland, in the county of Columbus and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Naill'lolding Attachments for Hammers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a nail holding attachment for hammers, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby a nail can be temporarily held by the hammer while being given the initial blow and started in the wood, thereby enabling nails to be driven in comparatively inaccessible places where it is not feasible to hold the nail in the fingers of one hand while starting the same. The device will also be found useful in driving nails when the workman is on a scafl'old or in some precarious position wherehe must hold on with one hand to keep hilnself in position, and has but one hand free for using the hammer and starting the nall.

A further object of the invention is to provide a nail holding attachment of this character which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, which can be readily applied to the conventional form of hammer, which does not in any manner interfere with the use of the hammer in the usual manner, and which will readily release the nail after it has been properly started by the initial blow of the hammer.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proreeds. the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing. in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hammer provided witha nail holding attachment constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1. showing a modified form of nail holding attachment. Fig. 4 is an end view of the modified construction, detached from the hammer. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the same, and Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Corresponding and like parts are re ferred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the stock or body portion of a hammer of the conventional construction, and 2 the handle, the end of the handle being inserted within an opening in the stock of the hammer and received within a sleeve or boss 1 surrounding the said opening and projecting from the back of the stock. One end of the stock 1 is provided with the usual claws 1" for withdrawing or pulling nails, while the opposite end thereof is connected by a neck ll to a driving head 1 The nail holding attachment is fitted against one side of the neck 1 so as to bear directly against the sleeve or boss 1. This attachment is formed of a strip of resilient sheet metal which is returned upon itself and bent into a substantially U shaped form, thereby providing the two spring arms 3 and 4 and the base 5. The arm 3 and base 5 are preferably bent transversely as shown so as to conform to the shape of the portions of the hammer against which they fit, the arm 3 fitting against the neck 1 of the driving head 1, while the base 5 fits against the boss 1. The extremities of the spring arms 3 and l: converge toward each other and terminate at one side of the driving head 1 in the coi'iperating jaws 6 which are suitably curved or concaved upon their inner faces so as to grip various sizes of nails. The base 5 may be formed with a suitable socket or depression 5 to receive and position the head of a nail which is engaged by the jaws 6. The arm 3 and base 5 may be secured to the hammer in any suitable manner, as by means of soldering or riveting, and when it is desired to start a nail, the latter is positioned within the attachment with the shank of the nail engaged by the jaws 6, while the head of the nail is seated within the depression 5*. While the nail is in this position the hammer is manipulated to impart the initial blow thereto, thereby starting the nail in driving position. As soon as the hammer is withdrawn, the nail will slip through the jaws 6, thereby releasing itself from the attachment and remaining in driving position.- The hammer may now be employed in i the usual manner to complete the driving of the nail.

A modification is shown by Fig. 3, in which both the arm 3 and base 5 are provided with the cooperating spring clips 7 adapted to detachably engage the neck 1 of the driving head 1 and the boss 1*, respectively. These clips have a resilient action and are curved to correspond to the shape of the portions of the hammer head to which they are applied. When constructed in this manner the nail holding attachment can be readily fitted upon the hammer head or removed therefrom, thereby enabling it to be used in connection with different hammers, and also enabling it to be detached from the hammer when there is no occasion for using the same.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As a new article of manufacture, the herein described nail holding attachment for hammers formed from a single piece of spring clamping arms projecting from the base of the clip for fitting around and yieldably engaging the handle receiving boss of the hammer, and a pair of integral spring clamping arms projecting laterally from one arm of the clip for fitting around and yieldably engaging the neck of the dri\'- ing head of the hammer.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

NORMAL G. GORE. Witnesses W. H. PHiLLiPs, VI. S. AYCOCK. 

